A Colorful Achievement Remembered
Flowers and Trees color wins the Academy Award. © Disney
Released 85 years ago today, the artistry of animation forever changed with Flowers & Trees (1932)! Hazel Sewell and her all-female teams of Ink & Paint artists, essentially made this film twice. Once their B&W cels were cleared through camera, the women carefully washed off the painted sides of each cel and completed the entire film in color. Painstakingly 'feeling' their way with the 3-strip Technicolor process, multiple color tests and reshoots resulted in this charming colorful breakthrough in film history. The extraordinary artistry of these women helped to garner the 1st Academy Award ever given for animation. BRAVA!!
